PICKING THE PICK 5/6 - Each day you will find my picks for the 50 cent PICK 5 and PLACE PICK 6. Choose a level of involvement to fit your Pick 5 budget. Of course, the more involved you get, the greater chance you have of hitting a PICK 5.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

To Todd Or Not To Todd

UPDATE - 6:00pm - We hit the Pick 4 with our AAAB ticket for $363.25 on the 50¢ play! Final score was Todd 2, Not Todd 2 (including Uncle Mo's nose defeat in the King's Bishop and a second in the Victory Ride).

It's Travers Day at Saratoga and racing has been cancelled at Monmouth, so we have to play the $1,000,000 guaranteed all stakes 50¢ Late Pick 4.

We would be remiss if we did not address the question: "To Todd or not to Todd?" Trainer Todd Pletcher has at least one horse in all four legs of the Late Pick 4. Is it that easy a play: Todd/Todd/Todd/Todd or if you prefer: Todd with Todd with Todd with Todd? In race 9 he has #1 Maple Forest at 12-1 morning line. In race 10 # 3 Hilda's Passion goes for Todd at 2-1. In the King's Bishop, # 7 Uncle Mo makes his long awaited return. Race 12 is the Travers and Todd has #9 Stay Thirsty at 5-2.

Regular rider John Velazquez is up on Maple Forest and Uncle Mo, while Javier Castellano will ride the other two. Of course Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty run for high profile owner Mike Repole.

That comes to a 50¢ Pick 4 play of: 1/3/7/9 or Todd/Todd/Todd/Todd. Is that the winning ticket? How often does a trainer have horses in all the legs of a major stakes pick 4?

Here is my Travers Day play. We have the all Top Choice ticket for $27 and the Top Choices with one back-up for a total of $90.Good luck and enjoy the great day of racing!